


Our Way of Dealing

by Bunnytaichou



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Overwatch, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 15:11:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14917716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunnytaichou/pseuds/Bunnytaichou
Summary: There were few topics that could do this to the tough as nails Morrison, which made it all the more heartbreaking to witness.  It was also the reason why they tended to avoid the subject, though they were each dealing with it in their own way.





	Our Way of Dealing

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by an Imagine Your OTP prompt where the couple watches a show only to nitpick every little detail. I just took it to an angsty place. Set in the universe of my OW AU.

“Hey, who was on the phone?”. Gabriel had entered the kitchen just as Jack was hanging up and shoving his cell back into the pocket of his jeans.

“Nothing. No one,” this was a lie that Gabe saw right through. Jack was never good at lying to begin with, but it was also hard to believe that it was nothing when the blonde was balling up a used Kleenex in his free hand.

“No one, huh?”. He didn't want to push the issue because he knew it involved a subject that would make Jack need another tissue. There were few topics that could do this to the tough as nails Morrison, which made it all the more heartbreaking to witness. It was also the reason why they tended to avoid the subject, though they were each dealing with it in their own way. Their methods were probably not healthy, but Gabe didn't know what else to do. Distraction seemed to be what worked best, and so he reached out for the other man. “Come on then. Let's go watch this show.”

A bit of a smirk played on Jack’s face as he nodded, “I think you'll really hate this one.”

“I trust you. You know exactly what I hate.” Gabriel was smiling now as he pushed Jack out of the kitchen and down the short hall, hurrying him past the picture that hung on the center of the left wall on the way to the living room. Tonight, while Jack slept, Gabe would probably look at it again and have a few drinks afterwards, but for now, he wanted to pretend that they were ok.

They sat down on the couch in such perfect unison that it would seem practiced. Gabriel leaned back and swung his legs up, followed by Jack, who tapped a button on their game controller and then leaned back into the other man so that they were now lying together with Gabe cuddling the blonde. The show started, illuminating their otherwise dark living room, and Gabe kissed the top of the other's head.

He made it through half of the first episode without complaint, but by the second half, his criticisms could no longer be contained.

“I hope she falls down the stairs,” he spoke of the lead, who was throwing a fit because the man she was in love with had confessed that he had experimented with another man in college. “How the hell is it fine for her, but when it's him, suddenly it's ew. I hate it. This show is trash.”

The hand he had resting against Jack's chest was given a loving pat, “I knew you'd hate it.”

As he’d mentioned earlier, his partner knew exactly what he hated. That happened to be a lot of things, but Jack had a way of finding those rare gems that would make Gabriel especially annoyed. This show was clearly one of them. Every other scene after the halfway mark induced a complaint, such as, “Who does that? Who doesn't realize they've got a condom in their cha cha?”

“Maybe it slipped off,” Jack chuckled. Gabriel’s annoyance, at least when it came to bad shows on Netflix, was always particularly amusing for him. Even as they were watching this, he was already mentally rubbing his hands together as he thought of the next week’s binge.

“If something was lost up my ass, believe me, I'd know it was there.” Gabriel ranted, drowning out the most likely awful dialog that was currently happening on screen. “A whole condom?”

“Oh, I don't know,” Jack continued to bait him. “They're pretty squishy, aren't they? I don't know. Been awhile since we've used one.”

“This guy she was with was clearly one of those guys who buys Magnums when they know they need to get those regular condoms like everybody else.”

“Didn’t you buy Magnums when we first started messing around?”

Looking down at his lover, Gabriel was happy to see the smile on his face even if Jack was amused at his expense. He had to keep the distraction going, and so he scoffed, “Yeah, but you know I actually needed them.” There were no arguments there, which is exactly what Gabriel was expecting. Turning back to the show, he gestured towards it with a dismissive hand. “What is this editing? Weren’t they just about to go in a bar? Now they’re in her apartment? This girl’s life is a trainwreck.”

“I’m glad you hate it, Gabe,” Jack replied, rubbing his hand.

Griping about the show made it enjoyable in a way that the producers likely didn’t intend. Six episodes passed quickly, with the two groaning in unison when the last finished and a prompt popped up asking them if they were still watching.

“No, we haven’t gotten our lives together in all this time,” Gabriel sarcastically replied as he watched Jack reach for the game controller.

Jack snorted as he tried grabbing the device and lying back down in the same motion. Unfortunately, he dropped it on the carpet, causing the screen to somehow go to Jack’s recently watched list. Gabriel couldn’t help but spot The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in that list of thumbnails. He knew that Jack saw it too because things were quiet.

“Should we… talk about it…?” Jack asked at length, sitting up and moving to the other end of the couch.

With the way he was looking down now, it was as if he thought Gabe would be mad. That was the furthest thing from the truth. Right now, Gabriel couldn’t ignore the fact that Jack was still hurting. They both were, but it felt easier to deal with his partner’s pain, and that wasn’t easy at all.

With a long sigh, he picked up the controller from the floor and shut off their console and television. Now they were sitting in the dark. Somehow, this was very comforting. 

“Where did he call from this time?” Gabriel asked when he felt bold enough. 

“He didn’t,” Jack answered quietly. “I called him from the last number that came up. It was an 817 number.”

“Fort Worth, Texas,” Gabriel sighed as he swung his feet to the floor. In the darkness, he reached for the lamp on the end table and turned it on. Then he looked at Jack, finding that the other wouldn’t look at him. “Jack… do you want to go?”

“He’s not there anymore,” Jack shook his head. “You know how this goes by now. We won’t find him, and if we get too close, he’ll run further. He doesn’t want to come home.” 

Gabriel shook his head, “He does. He’s just too damn stubborn to just do it. Little shit has always been that way. I’ve got half a mind to tell him not to come back. Look at what it’s doing to you...making you watch that terrible movie.”

“You’re more stubborn than he is,” Jack spoke gently as he leaned back into Gabriel’s waiting arms. “And besides, I know you’re just talking. The only person who misses him more than me is you.”

The truth cut to the bone, but he wouldn’t let it show. Instead, he smiled and shrugged, “Let’s stop thinking about it. We can watch more of that stupid show or do you wanna go upstairs and see if I have any Magnums left?”

“Let’s to do that,” Jack agreed.

Their way of dealing with it was unhealthy, indeed. Sex to try to cover up the hole in their hearts and in their lives -- if they continued this way, would the meaning of an act that was supposed to be done in love change? Gabe would ponder it as Jack fell asleep in his arms. He would mull over it as he gently slipped away from him. He would agonize over it as he grabbed a bottle of tequila. And he would curse the brain that wouldn’t stop thinking of painful things as he stared at the picture hanging on the center of the left wall in the hallway.

That picture was supposed to remind them of what had then been the happiest day of their lives. Both were dressed in white tuxedos, their hair slicked and neatly combed, and their entwined fingers posed to show off the matching platinum wedding bands. He used to stare at this picture and feel joy at the cheesy posed kiss, but now his heart ached as his eyes fixed themselves on what was between them. With their fingers laced together, they embraced a young teenage boy with brown skin and deeper brown hair. This boy looked happy to be with them, as they were happy to have him. Something had gone wrong, and now the man who had loved him as though that boy had come from his own flesh was drinking because the pain sometimes got to be too much. He and Jack weren’t ok, but he was dealing with it. He was dealing with it the best way he knew how.


End file.
